ellenscoop
Songster
I figured pictures speak louder than words.....so here ya go 
I am not saying my run enclosure is perfect or anything, but it does seem to work (fingers crossed....) and my birds are all pretty healthy and happy (fingers crossed again...). The big things are:
1.) design all elements to be able to withstand forces applied by poultry predators trying to get in to eat your birds,
2.) making the enclosure as easy as possible for you to keep clean (a big deal because keeping the area clean is paramount for maintaining healthy immune systems of birds and limiting spread and contamination of other pathogens) and access,
3.) providing an enriched environment that allows them the ability to conduct natural chicken behaviors (aka dust bathing, roosting, jumping, flying, swinging, hiding from bullies, resting in shade from sun, ability to feel safe, somewhere to go nest for hens, etc.
The outdoor enclosure I built cost a total of $500 which included the following materials: dog kennel from Lowes, 2 additional poles, several rolls of 1/2" hardware cloth, wood pallets, rubber horse stall mats, at least 600 zip ties (can purchase in bulk on Amazon for way cheap, just make sure you get ones appropriate for outdoor use and recognize that they are likely going to degrade from UV light with time and will need to be replaced), drainage rocks, peat moss and sand for dust bathing area, at least 20+ steel anchors to anchor down the apron that outlines the perimeter, 2 shade sails, and mesh privacy cloth.
I chose this design because I have foxes where I live, and I did not want to dig the hardware cloth into the ground, therefore I offset an apron that I anchored into the ground. The wood pallets and stall mats are to add in the prevention of possible digging predators that might somehow be able to somehow bypass my apron. All my birds go into a very secure Amish-built chicken coop at dust and stay there until I let them out in the morning. The stall mats make it easy to keep the coop clean because I hose them down every evening. The shade sails help to prevent wild bird droppings into the coop and provide shade but still allow water to pass though.
Hope this helps u a little bit! Good luck
I am not saying my run enclosure is perfect or anything, but it does seem to work (fingers crossed....) and my birds are all pretty healthy and happy (fingers crossed again...). The big things are:
1.) design all elements to be able to withstand forces applied by poultry predators trying to get in to eat your birds,
2.) making the enclosure as easy as possible for you to keep clean (a big deal because keeping the area clean is paramount for maintaining healthy immune systems of birds and limiting spread and contamination of other pathogens) and access,
3.) providing an enriched environment that allows them the ability to conduct natural chicken behaviors (aka dust bathing, roosting, jumping, flying, swinging, hiding from bullies, resting in shade from sun, ability to feel safe, somewhere to go nest for hens, etc.
The outdoor enclosure I built cost a total of $500 which included the following materials: dog kennel from Lowes, 2 additional poles, several rolls of 1/2" hardware cloth, wood pallets, rubber horse stall mats, at least 600 zip ties (can purchase in bulk on Amazon for way cheap, just make sure you get ones appropriate for outdoor use and recognize that they are likely going to degrade from UV light with time and will need to be replaced), drainage rocks, peat moss and sand for dust bathing area, at least 20+ steel anchors to anchor down the apron that outlines the perimeter, 2 shade sails, and mesh privacy cloth.
I chose this design because I have foxes where I live, and I did not want to dig the hardware cloth into the ground, therefore I offset an apron that I anchored into the ground. The wood pallets and stall mats are to add in the prevention of possible digging predators that might somehow be able to somehow bypass my apron. All my birds go into a very secure Amish-built chicken coop at dust and stay there until I let them out in the morning. The stall mats make it easy to keep the coop clean because I hose them down every evening. The shade sails help to prevent wild bird droppings into the coop and provide shade but still allow water to pass though.
Hope this helps u a little bit! Good luck
